Xu Ning took the watermelon that had been soaking in the water jar since the morning and placed it on the table. She cut it open, revealing the bright red flesh inside.

The table was soon stained with fresh red juice. The chilled watermelon tasted even sweeter, truly the perfect fruit to beat the summer heat.

The three of them sat around the table, each eating several pieces before stopping. Xu An said, “Sis, this watermelon is really sweet. Let’s save these watermelon seeds and plant more next year.”

This year, they had planted five watermelon vines, which yielded 17 large watermelons.

Grandpa Qi said that the vines near the cowshed also produced a dozen more watermelons, so Xu Ning didn’t send any over. Instead, the three siblings ate one watermelon each day after finishing their work.

They also harvested plenty of pumpkins. Xu Ning sliced the early-ripening ones and dried them into pumpkin chips, while the later-ripening ones were left on the vine to be picked when the weather cooled, so they could be stored for winter.

The autumn harvest was approaching, and after that, Xu An would be heading off to school. For the past few days, he had been running up the mountain daily to chop firewood and gather wild vegetables.

Anything edible he found, he brought home, worried that when he left for school, his sister would be too busy to manage everything alone.

Xu Ning let him do as he pleased. A boy who was responsible and cared for his family was a good thing.

Today, she planned to go into the city to send a letter and use a few soon-to-expire ration tickets.

After mailing the letter and buying some items at the supply and marketing cooperative, she rode her bicycle to the entrance of the machinery factory.

Seeing that it was almost time for the factory workers to get off work, Xu Ning parked her bicycle nearby.

As soon as the factory gates opened, people began to stream out one by one. Xu Ning spotted a familiar figure and moved her bike forward slightly.

When the figure saw her, their eyes lit up, and they immediately jogged over. “Sister, you’re finally here! I’ve been waiting for you for so many days!”

The woman who called Xu Ning “sister” was Liu Xiue, a young woman who had bought bed sheets and duvet covers from Xu Ning the first time she sold them at the machinery factory.

Recently, Xu Ning had visited the factory two more times, and Liu Xiue had also bought a military water bottle from her.

Xu Ning asked, “Sister Liu, are you off work? What do you need from me?”

Liu Xiue pulled her aside a few steps and asked, “Sister, do you still have any of the bed sheets and duvet covers you sold me last time? I’d like to buy two more sets.

Our factory’s accountant, Xiao Zhao, is getting married, and she asked me to help her buy two sets.”

A few days ago, Accountant Xiao Zhao had visited Liu Xiue’s home and noticed the bedding on her bed. She immediately asked Liu where she had bought it.

Xu Ning replied, “Sister Liu, I do have two sets of bed sheets and duvet covers, but I prepared them for my relatives. I’m actually here today waiting for them.”

“Sister, your relatives probably don’t need them urgently, right? Could you talk to them and sell the sets to me first? The wedding is coming up soon, and I’d really like to include some nice bedding in the dowry. It would make a good impression on the in-laws.”

Xu Ning pretended to think it over for a moment, then said, “Sister, we’ve done business a few times already, and you’re always so helpful. You can go ahead and take these two sets. I’ll figure something out for my relatives in a couple of days.”

Liu Xiue gratefully squeezed Xu Ning’s hand and said, “Thank you so much, sister! Come with me to my place, and I’ll give you the money.”

When they arrived at Liu Xiue’s house, she closed the door. Xu Ning took the two sets of bed sheets and duvet covers out of her basket and handed them to her.

As Liu Xiue passed her the money, she noticed a bulky, military-green item in Xu Ning’s basket and asked, “Sister, what’s this? It looks like a military coat.”

“It is a military coat. A friend of mine brought it over from the south. I was planning to ask my relatives if they wanted it.”

Liu Xiue, excited, said, “Why don’t you just sell it to me? There’s no need to ask your relatives—they might not even want it, and it’ll save you from running back and forth.”

Xu Ning smiled and agreed, “You’re right, Sister Liu. I’ve already sold you the bed sheets and duvet covers, so it’d be awkward to offer this to them too. If you want it, it’s yours for 50 yuan.”

Liu Xiue happily handed over another 50 yuan.

When Xu Ning returned home, it was already past two in the afternoon. Neither Xu An nor Xu Mo were home, and their baskets were gone too. They had left some dishes and steamed buns for her on the kitchen table. Xu Ning quickly ate her meal and then headed up the mountain with her basket.

On the way, she ran into Chen Xiangdong, Ge Hongbin, and Sun Hao, who were also on their way up the mountain. The group chatted casually as they walked.

Chen Xiangdong asked Xu Ning, “Xu zhiqing, the crops in the fields will be harvested soon. What are you planning to plant for the next season?”

The three of them admired Xu Ning’s practical way of managing things and wanted to learn from her. They figured whatever Xu Ning planted, they would follow suit.

Xu Ning smiled and replied, “What else can we plant? Just cabbage and radishes, and maybe some green onions.

We can pickle the cabbage into sauerkraut and dry some radish slices for winter.

It’s different here compared to the south—there aren’t many fresh vegetables in the winter. But right now, there are still plenty of wild greens on the mountain.

If we dig them up, clean them, and dry them, we can soak them in water come winter and use them to make dumplings. They taste pretty good that way.”

“Last winter, all we ate was cabbage, radishes, and dried wild greens on repeat,” Xu Ning said.

Sun Hao chimed in, “We’re planning to dry more wild greens this year to save for the winter. Last year, we didn’t bother going up the mountain to gather wild vegetables, and the crops from our private plots weren’t much. By the end of the season, we were eating nothing but corn porridge and sorghum cakes every day. We didn’t even see a leaf of green vegetables, and I got so sick of it.”

When they reached the mountain, the group split up. Xu Ning headed in the direction where Xu An often went. It didn’t take long before she spotted Xu An placing the wild vegetables he had dug into a basket. Xu Mo, with his little shovel, was squatting down, busy digging as well.

Xu Ning walked over and gave Xu Mo’s little backside a playful pat.

Xu Mo turned around, and upon seeing her, his face lit up as he happily exclaimed, “Sis, you’re back! Did you eat the food we saved for you?

“I did! And the meal Xu An made tasted better than mine,” Xu Ning said with a smile, teasing them both. Xu An, flustered by the compliment, blushed, but his eyes sparkled with pride.

Xu Ning then pulled some biscuits out of her basket and told the two of them, “Come sit under the tree and have a rest. Eat some biscuits while I keep digging.”